THURSDAY EDITION: K1JEK XMAS PARTY TODAY AT NOON, due to medical
reasons in the family, I will again have to miss it but I am sure
all attending will have a good time....ARRL 10-Meter Contest 0000Z,
Dec 14 to 2400Z, Dec 15 .....Russia's only aircraft
carrier sinking and on fire.....Today's
Asshat Award goes to......How does this
stuff even happen?.....OFF THE
GRID HAM RADIO.......Coming up this Thursday (12/12) at 9 pm
EST on Ham Talk Live, Katie Allen, WY7YL from Ham Radio Outlet will
be on the show to talk about holiday gift ideas for hams! Also, we
will reveal some special ham holiday traditions.....
Tune into Ham Talk Live! Thursday night at 9 pm EST (Friday 0200Z)
by going to hamtalklive.com. When the audio player indicates LIVE,
just hit the play button!
If you miss the show live, you can listen on demand anytime also at
hamtalklive.com; or a podcast version is on nearly all podcast sites
a few minutes after the live show is over. Some sites include Apple
Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, SoundCloud, and iHeart Podcasts;
and it's also available on YouTube. A replay is also broadcast on
WTWW 5085 AM on Saturday nights at approximately 6:30 pm Eastern.
Be sure to CALL in with your questions and comments by calling
812-638-4261 live during the call-in segment of the show. You can
also tweet your questions before or during the show to @HamTalkLive.
Honolulu, Hawaii
In a recent interview with the Honolulu Board of Water (BWS) supply
we sat down with Ernest Lau, WH6GAJ & Manager and Chief Engineer at
BWS, Ms. Kathleen Elliot-Pahinui, Information Officer (IO), Stella
Bernardo, WH6GDM, IS II and Ham Coordinator and Raleigh Ferdun,
KH6EN, to discuss their involvement with amateur radio. (Raleigh is
not an employee of the BOW)
The Board of Water Supply (BWS) recently encouraged their employees
to take an amateur radio class and to get their license. The class
was held during the work day and taught by Raleigh, KH6EN. It was
voluntary and to encourage employees, the initial license fee was
paid by the BWS for the employees who take the exam. The BWS also
loaned the class books to all attendees. The classes were held at
the BWS.
Why would the Board of Water Supply in Honolulu take this action?
According to Ernest Lau, the Manager and Chief Engineer and call
sign WH6GAJ, he got involved in a Community Emergency Response Team,
CERT, with the “Be Ready Manoa Group”, and took the license class in
early 2019 at the Salvation Army. He realized then that it could be
a great help with backup emergency communications if a disaster
event happened, thus impacting the supply of water to about 1.0
million residents. So, Ernest asked the question, “What if we
offered these classes so other employees could get their amateur
radio license and serve as a backup to our communications plans?”
A big concern for the BWS is restoring drinking water to the island
in the event of a disaster and to do that they would have to be able
to communicate in order to coordinate repair and restoration of the
water systems island-wide. The BWS uses Land Mobile Radios (LMR) and
repeaters as part of day-to-day operations and amateur radio could
be instrumental in the communications backup plan.
Ernest mentioned Hurricane Maria that devastated Puerto Rico as a
Category 5 Storm in September 2017, Hurricane Lane which tracked
close to Hawaii as a Category 4 storm in late August 2018, and
Hurricane Olivia just a few weeks later in September 2018. “It’s
just a matter of WHEN and not IF Hawaii gets hit”, Ernest stated.
New NASA eBook reveals insights of Earth seen at night from
space
Earth
has many stories to tell, even in the dark of night.
Earth at Night, NASA’s new 200-page ebook, is now
available
online and includes more than 150 images of our planet in
darkness as captured from space by Earth-observing satellites
and astronauts on the International Space Station over the past
25 years.
The images reveal how human activity and natural phenomena
light up the darkness around the world, depicting the intricate
structure of cities, wildfires and volcanoes raging, auroras
dancing across the polar skies, moonlight reflecting off snow
and deserts, and other dramatic earthly scenes.
“Earth at Night explores the brilliance of our planet when it
is in darkness,” wrote Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator
of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, in the book’s foreword.
“The book is a compilation of stories depicting the interactions
between science and wonder. I am pleased to share this visually
stunning and captivating exploration of our home planet.”
In addition to the images, the book tells how scientists use
these observations to study our changing planet and aid decision
makers in such areas as sustainable energy use and disaster
response.
NASA brings together technology, science, and unique global
Earth observations to provide societal benefits and strengthen
our nation. The agency makes its Earth observations freely and
openly available to everyone for use in developing solutions to
important global issues such as changing freshwater
availability, food security and human health.
NOAA/NASA Panel Concurs that Solar Cycle 25 will Peak in July
2025
The NOAA/NASA-co-chaired international Solar Cycle Prediction
Panel has released its
latest forecast for to forecast Solar Cycle 25.
The panel’s consensus calls for a peak in July 2025 (±8 months),
with a smoothed sunspot number of 115. The panel agreed that Cycle
25 will be of average intensity and similar to Cycle 24. The panel
additionally concurred that the solar minimum between Cycles 24 and
25 will occur in April 2020 (±6 months). If the solar minimum
prediction is correct, this would make Solar Cycle 24 the seventh
longest on record at 11.4 years. In its preliminary forecast
released last April, the scientists on the panel forecast that Solar
Cycle 25 would likely be weak, much like the current Cycle 24.
“Solar Cycle 25 may have a slow start, but is anticipated to peak
with solar maximum occurring between 2023 and 2026, and a sunspot
range of 95 to 130. This is well below the average number of
sunspots,” the panel said last spring, adding with “high confidence”
that Cycle 25 “should break the trend of weakening solar activity
seen over the past four cycles.” The panel said the expectation that
Cycle 25 would be comparable in size to Cycle 24 suggests that the
steady decline in solar cycle amplitude seen from Cycle 21 through
Cycle 24 has ended and that there is no indication of an approaching
“Maunder-type” minimum. Cycle 24 peaked in April 2014 with an
average sunspot number of 82.
The Solar Cycle Prediction Panel forecasts the number of sunspots
expected for solar maximum, along with the timing of the peak and
minimum solar activity levels for the cycle. It is comprised of
scientists representing NOAA, NASA, the International Space
Environment Services, and other US and international scientists.
5 watt railway level crossing radars at 24 GHz
Ofcom has published proposals for new regulations regarding the
use of certain short range wireless devices, including 5 watt
Railway Level Crossing Radar Sensor Systems in 24.100-24.350 GHz
band
Short range devices include baby monitors, keyless entry cards,
alarms and some Wi-Fi systems, which all rely on spectrum. We are
consulting on making new regulations regarding the frequencies and
technical requirements for using these devices in the 874 to 876 and
915 to 921 MHz spectrum bands. This implements a European Commission
decision to harmonise these bands for short range devices.
Ofcom are also consulting on revoking an existing licence exemption
for railway level-crossing radar sensor systems. These systems are
used by Network Rail to monitor railway intersections and detect
obstacles that may cause damage to moving trains. Ofcom are
proposing to introduce a national licence for these systems, which
will allow them to be used in more locations across the rail
network.
Dec 2-20, 2019
DXCC: Burkina Faso
Callsign: XT2AW
QSL: M0OXO
Source: DXW.Net
(May 12, 2019)
Info: By DF2WO fm Ouagadougou; focus on 160 80 60m; CW SSB RTTY FT8;
hexbeam, verticals
Dec 2, 2019-Jan 5, 2020
DXCC: Ecuador
Callsign: HC5AGT
QSL: EA5RM
Source: TDDX (Oct 7, 2019)
Info: By EA5RM fm Loja and possbily fm Guayaquil; 40-10m; SSB +
digital
Dec 3-24, 2019
DXCC: Burkina Faso
Callsign: XT2AW
QSL: M0OXO
Source: TDDX (Nov 26, 2019)
Info: By DF2WO fm Ouagadougou; mainly 160 80 60m; FT8, some SSB CW;
hexbeam, verticals; spare time operation
Dec 4-13, 2019
DXCC: St Martin
Callsign:
TO9W
QSL: LoTW
Source: TDDX (May 22, 2019)
Info: By K9NU K9NU W9ILY N9AOL K9EL FS4WBS; 160-6m, focus on 160 80
40m; mainly CW FT8; regular uploads to Club Log; see Web site for
full details
Dec 6-21, 2019
DXCC: Turks & Caicos
Callsign: VP5
QSL: LoTW
Source: 4L5A (Dec 9, 2019)
Info: By WQ7X as VP5/WQ7X fm Providenciales I (IOTA NA-002); 40-10m;
CW SSB; QSL also OK via WQ7X direct
Dec 6-27, 2019
DXCC: New Caledonia
Callsign: FK
QSL: LoTW
Source: 4L5A (Nov 4, 2019)
Info: By DB1RUL as FK/DB1RUL fm Grand Terre I 6-9 Dec, Poingam I
13-15 Dec, Ouvea I 18-21 Dec, Ile de Pine 23-27 Dec; HF; FT8; QSL
also OK via DB1RUL
Dec 10-19, 2019
DXCC: St Kitts & Nevis
Callsign: V47JA
QSL: LoTW
Source: W5JON (Nov 20, 2019)
Info: By W5JON fm Calypso Bay; 160-6m; SSB FT8; yagi, verticals; QSL
also OK via W5JON direct
Dec 10-23, 2019
DXCC: Maldives
Callsign: 8Q7XY
QSL: DF3XY Direct
Source: TDDX (Oct 22, 2019)
Info: By 40 30 20 15 10m; mainly FT8 SSB
Dec 11-20, 2019
DXCC: Bhutan
Callsign: A5
QSL: Club Log OQRS
Source: DXW.Net
(Dec 6, 2019)
Info: By JH1AJT DJ9ZB KO8SCA ON5UR E21EIC as A5B, A50BOC, A50BPC;
160-6m; CW SSB FT4 FT8; QSL also OK via JH1AJT: PO Box 8, Oiso,
Naka-gun, Kanagawa 255-0003, Japan
Dec 12-31, 2019
DXCC: Honduras
Callsign: HR5
QSL: F6AJA
Source: TDDX (Nov 29, 2019)
Info: By F2JD as HR5/F2JD fm Copan-Ruinas; 160-6m; CW SSB + digital;
QSL OK B/d; operation to continue until Apr 4, 2020
Dec 13-15, 2019
DXCC: Senegal
Callsign: 6V1A
QSL: LoTW
Source: 4L5A (Oct 22, 2019)
Info: By 6W7JX 6W1PZ 6W1KI 6W1QL 6W1PA 6W1SQ 6W1SV 6W1GF 6W1TA fm
Goree I (IOTA AF-045); HF; SSB CW; QSL also OK via 6W1QL
Dec 13-20, 2019
DXCC: Georgia
Callsign: 4L
QSL: LoTW
Source: TA1HZ (Nov 2, 2019)
Info: By TA1HZ as 4L/TA1HZ; @4L6QC; focus on low bands; mainly FT8
FT4; 100w; QSL OK via TA1HZ direct
Dec 14, 2019-Jan 8, 2020
DXCC: Thailand
Callsign: HS0ZNR
QSL: LoTW
Source: TDDX (Oct 1, 2019)
Info: By VK2BY fm Nam Yuen, Ubon Ratchathani; 80-10m; SSB FT8; 200w;
Hex Beam; logs will be uploaded to Club Log
Dec 15-21, 2019
DXCC: Ecuador
Callsign: HC5JLT
QSL: W9HT
Source: 4L5A (Sep 12, 2019)
Info: By W9HT; HF + 6m; SSB CW + digital
Dec 17-31, 2019
DXCC: Rotuma
Callsign:
3D2AG/p
QSL: 3D2AG PayPal
Source: TDDX (Nov 29, 2019)
Info: By 3D2AG; focus on 160 80 60m; CW SSB FT8/FT4; see Web for
further details; to continue until mid-Jan 2020
WEDNESDAY EDITION: 3 inches of snow here this morning, its going
to be a long winter and a lot of ham radio to keep me sane.....K1JEK
XMAS PARTY REMINDER: THURSDAY DECEMBER 12 AT THE SALEM HRO
STORE FOLLOWED BY LUNCH AT THE CHINESE RESTAURANT NEXT STORE...Word
has it from my ears on 3919 is that #1 is in contact with the
Discovery Channel for a documentary next year, true story. What a
reality show that would be!...Short video on the new
NanoVNA analyzer.....
The magic of
Christmas: Your child could speak to Santa Claus via radio
ST. GEORGE — Christmas is fast
approaching. And if your child is tired of
seeing the same old mall Santa Claus every year,
or the jolly old elf has lost a bit of his
luster, how about actually talking to Santa on a
radio live?
It happens every year. Amateur
Radio operators around the United States
activate the Santa Net every night starting at
6:30 p.m. MST through Christmas Eve.
“Christmastime is a very special time for our
nets every year,” Pete Thomson, KE5GGY of
Denton, Texas and the lead operator of the Santa
Net said. “We enjoy helping young people and
their families have a shared Christmas
experience that they’ll always remember. And
we’re thrilled to introduce young people to the
excitement of amateur radio.”
Thomson said the Santa Net has grown beyond
his wildest expectations.
Public domain image from 1922. SoUtahNow.com
“In our first year, we connected 10 kids to
Santa on Ham Radio and it’s grown steadily
since,” Thomson said. “For 2019, we’re expecting
over 700 children to participate.”
While an amateur radio license is required to
talk to Santa, several hams in the Southern Utah
area have expressed a willingness to assist
children in Dixie to talk directly to Santa
Claus, if their parents or siblings are not
licensed. Contact the Dixie Amateur Radio Club
at
w7drc@arrl.org to be put in touch with a ham
that would be able to assist. Please remember,
these operators are volunteers and only have so
much time to assist.
For those parents or others lucky enough to
have an amateur radio license and equipment,
Santa can be found nightly on 3.916 MHz
beginning at 6:30 p.m. Mountain time through
Christmas Eve.
The American Radio Relay League is the United
States’ national association for amateur radio.
Their website states that, “Amateur Radio (ham
radio) is a popular hobby and service that
brings people, electronics and communication
together. People use ham radio to talk across
town, around the world, or even into space, all
without the Internet or cell phones. It’s fun,
social, educational, and can be a lifeline
during times of need.”
Amateur radio operators around the world
participate daily in the hobby. But some think
it’s more than a hobby – that it’s magic.
“Amateur Radio is all about magic,” Kevin
O’Dell of Ardmore, Oklahoma wrote on the ARRL
website. “It’s magic to talk to a complete
stranger on the other side of the world while
sitting in my car watching my son’s football
practice. It’s magic to watch the eyes of a
child light up when they talk to an astronaut on
the International Space Station. It’s magic to
see the relief in a mother’s face because the
Amateur Radio operators providing communications
at the county fair found her lost child. It’s
magic to see the excitement on the face of my
son after getting his license and making his
first contact. And who said magic isn’t real?”
For more information about becoming licensed
and joining the growing ranks of amateur radio
operators in southern Utah, contact the Dixie
Amateur Radio Club at
w7drc@arrl.org.
And you’ll be ready to talk to Santa Claus in
2020.
VP6R Pitcairn Island photo book
Nodir, EY8MM, has put together a spectacular
photo book of the recent VP6R Dxpedition.
The following update was sent out by Gene, K5GS,
on the VP8/VP8DXU South Orkney Islands (AN-008) DXpedition [edited]:
* Team Staffing -- We're sorry to report that
Dave, WD5COV, had to leave
the project, replacing Dave is:
Alan Cheshire, VK6CQ -- Originally from Scotland, Alan has lived in
Perth, Western Australia for many years and was first licensed as
G4EEL in 1975 whilst studying for his commercial Merchant Marine
Radio Officer ticket.
He holds degrees in Physics & Telecoms Engineering and is a
consultant telecom engineer in the offshore oil and gas industry.
He has over 5 years Antarctic and sub-Antarctic experience with the
British Antarctic Survey, Australian National Antarctic Research
Expeditions and Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions and has
over-wintered four times with the callsigns VP8PJ and VK0LD. Other
DX callsigns over the years: A4XYF, VS5AC, V85AC, P29AC, VK8AC,
9V1DX, 9V0A and CE9/VK0LD.
An A1 CW Op, he gave many an all time new one as VK0MM from
Macquarie
Island over the year 2000 and was also a member of the 2016 VK0EK
Heard
Island team. When not pounding away on a Morse key, Alan plays a
mean
bluegrass banjo.
* Equipment Shipping -- After a short delay the
equipment was accepted by our freight agent, placed on pallets,
shrink wrapped and loaded into a sea container. The container was
trucked to Oakland, California and after US Customs formalities it
began its journey to Coronel, Chile. Expected arrival is December
21st. Subsequently, the shipment will be taken to Punta Arenas,
Chile.
* Fundraising -- The estimated cost of this
project is 310,000-325,000 (USDs), with the most expensive line
items being the ship, freight and cold weather shelters. We expect
fuel prices to remain within the contracted range, with minimal
foreign exchange fluctuation. Our bills are paid in: US and New
Zealand Dollars and Euros, we closely follow currency trends.
We appreciate the support from the worldwide DX and amateur radio
organizations. Forty-nine clubs / foundations have signed on, and
equally important are the over 400 individuals who have already
supported the project, especially our 47 Premier Sponsors who each
donated 200(USDs), or more. While we still have a long way to go, we
continue to make progress towards our goal of the radio team paying
50% of the project cost with sponsorships paying the remainder.
The corporate sponsors: Elecraft, DX Engineering, WIMO, RadioSport,
Low Band Systems, Spiderbeam, Rig Expert, Mastrant and Clamcleat are
instrumental to the success of this project. We know that Max at
ON5UR Print, working with our QSL Manager Tim, M0URX, will deliver a
high quality QSL card.
Our next major milestones include finalizing the radio operating
schedule and assigning team member responsibilities for camp setup,
radio and antenna installation.
Thanks for your continued interest and support of our project.
Good luck in the pileups.
The first Saturday in January is Kids Day — the time to get
youngsters on the air to share in the joy and fun that Amateur
Radio can provide. Kids Day gets under way on Saturday, January
4, at 1800 UTC and concludes at 2359 UTC.
Sponsored by the
Boring (Oregon) Amateur Radio Club, this event has a simple
exchange, suitable for younger operators: First name, age,
location, and favorite color. After that, the contact can be as
long or as short as each participant prefers. Kids Day is the
perfect opportunity to open your shack door and invite kids over
to see what Amateur Radio has to offer.
In Antarctica, Chris Cianflone, W2RTO, is on the air from
KC4USV at McMurdo Station, mostly operating FT8 on 14.075
MHz. The station has a tribander for 20, 15, and 10 meters
and a Kenwood TS-480 feeding a 500 W amplifier, which, he
said “sounds like it’s on its last legs.” Given the 24 hours
of daylight this time of year and the challenging terrain,
the lower bands are unusable in Antarctica, but a dipole may
be in the offing for 40 meters later in the season.
Cianflone is in Antarctica getting research sites up and
running with their communications needs. He heads home on
February 21. QSL via K7MT.
Operators at KC4USV log on paper, and these logs are
keystroked into an ADIF file. Cianflone said the station is
in a poor location and endures local noise from generators
and other transmitters. He will try to be on the air at 0000
UTC for about 30 minutes a day, Monday through Saturday, and
at 0600 UTC.
Marco de Pas, DK5SXQ (ex-IK5SQX), will arrive in
Antarctica on December 20, remaining into February,
operating as IA0/DK5SXQ from the Italian-French base
Concordia. He’s in Antarctica to install a LIDAR (light
detection and ranging) system but expects to have some spare
time to operate.
Seba Gleich, SQ1SGB, plans to be on the air from
VP8HAL at the Halley VI Research Station until February 8.
If he is successful in erecting an antenna, he’ll operate on
FT8, JT65, and SSB on 40 and 20 meters. QSL through EB7DX.
— Thanks to
The Daily DX
TUESDAY EDITION: Snow is gone, it's 60 degrees out this
morning....love New England weather, snow expected tonight....Here
are some
cool gadgets for Xmas....Another federal
loophole that needs fixing...Can you outrun an
avalanche?......
SAQ, Sweden’s Alexanderson Alternator, Announces Scheduled
Christmas Eve Transmission
SAQ, the call sign of the 1920s vintage Alexanderson transmitter
in Grimeton, Sweden, is set to be on the air for its annual
Christmas Eve transmission. SAQ transmits
CW with up to 200 kW on 17.2 kHz. Tune-up is scheduled to begin
at around 0730 UTC, with the holiday message transmitted
on December 24 at 0800 UTC. SAQ will
livestream the event. SAQ has introduced a
new
reception report form for listeners and has
asked listeners not to send SAQ reception reports via email. The
SK6SAQ amateur radio station will be active on 7.035 kHz and
14.035 MHz CW or 3.755 MHz SSB, with two stations on the air
most of the time. Given its age, the Alexanderson alternator
does not always function as intended. The transmitter
experienced a failure during its scheduled UN Day
transmission on October 24.
Can you hear me now? Xmas Party this Thursday at noon at
HRO
Iranian radar in 40m ham radio band
The latest IARU-R1 Monitoring System newsletter
reports a radar in northern Iran has been operating on the 7 MHz
amateur radio band
On November 13, the radar was observed with a center frequency of
7000 kHz using Amplitude Modulation On Pulse (AMOP) at 81 Sweeps Per
Sercond (SPS), covering 6978–7022 kHz.
Monitor the short wave bands on-line with a web based SDR receiver
at
http://www.websdr.org/
Radio Caroline North December
Join us on the River Blackwater for the final Radio
Caroline North broadcast of 2019 over the weekend 14th -
15th December
This month's sponsor is Rush Jets and our on-air competition is
sponsored by Rush Jets and sister company Inflight Goods, who are
kindly providing three gents Rotary watches as prizes.
We're LIVE from our historic radio-ship Ross Revenge on
the River Blackwater, Essex. Listen in on 648 AM in the South and
South-East, on 1368 AM in the North and North-West courtesy of our
friends at Manx Radio, around the world online here, on various apps
and radio players, and on your smart speakers – "Hey Alexa (or Siri),
play Radio Caroline!"
We would love to hear from you – send your emails direct to the
Ross studios at
memories@radiocaroline
.co.uk during the broadcast.
Recent 3000km+ opening on 144 MHz between New Zealand and
Australia reported
On the 1st of December 2019, there was an extensive
Sporadic-E opening on 144 MHz in the south-eastern part of
Australia.
While this allowed contacts on the 2-metre band between
various Australian regions, the most remarkable opening was
probably between Adelaide (VK5) and the northern tip of New
Zealand.
Both VK5GF and VK5AKK
managed to hear the WSPR beacon ZL1SIX, a
distance just over 3,170 kms and a remarkable distance for
2-metres.
To explain that from a European perspective, that is the same as
say London to Cyprus or across the North Atlantic from Ireland
to Newfoundland.
MONDAY EDITION: K1JEK
XMAS PARTY REMINDER: THURSDAY DECEMBER 12 AT THE SALEM HRO
STORE FOLLOWED BY LUNCH AT THE CHINESE RESTAURANT NEXT STORE...K0BOT
Dick from the maritime service net is planning the 20 meter Santa
Net for Sunday Dec 22, Monday Dec 23 and Tuesday Dec 24. Planned
times are 2:00PM EST through 6:00 PM EST. freq 14325.....Sports
Update: The Patriots got beat, forget the officials screwing up...we
got beat by a better team, Brady looks his age, he doesn't have
receivers he trusts and boy is he slow to react and make good
decisions, the running game is non-existent, ....it's ok, the team
had to decline eventually, let's see how Coach Belichick can salvage
the season!...
ARRL calls for New York University Petition to be dismissed
ARRL has asked the FCC to dismiss a Petition filed by New York
University (NYU) seeking Declaratory Ruling on the encoded message
rule
The ARRL say:
ARRL has asked FCC to dismiss a Petition for Declaratory Ruling
filed by New York University (NYU), that in ARRL’s view proposes a
new interpretation of the rule — Section 97.113(a)(4) — prohibiting
“messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning.”
In its December 2 filing, ARRL said NYU’s call to “clarify” the
rule’s meaning to prohibit “effectively encrypted or encoded
messages, including messages that cannot be readily decoded over the
air for true meaning,” is not only vague but could weaken the
prohibition against encryption.
ARRL pointed out that the FCC rule prohibiting “messages encoded for
the purpose of obscuring their meaning,” is essentially the same as
what appears in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Radio Regulations applying to all countries. ARRL made clear that it
continues to support rules prohibiting encrypted messages on the
amateur bands, even for limited emergency communication purposes,
and the ARRL Board reiterated that opposition last July.
In its comments, ARRL said that NYU’s request that the FCC adopt its
suggested language would introduce ambiguity and confusion in the
application of a rule that’s clearly understood to prohibit
encrypted messages. ARRL noted that Morse code is encoded and would
fall within the prohibition as proposed by NYU. “The very fact that
messages sent in CW are ‘encoded’ by any definition of the term
starkly demonstrates the problem with this proposal,” ARRL said.
In this episode, Martin M1MRB is joined by Edmund Spicer M0MNG,
Matthew Nassau M0NJX, Dan Romanchik KB6NU and Ruth Willet KM4LAO to
discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up
the news in brief and this episode’s feature is - CW Invaders Game /
Training Aid
ICQ AMATEUR/HAM RADIO PODCAST DONORS
We would like to thank Peter Caffery, Daniel Sullivan (KC3NKF)
and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the
podcast advert free. To donate, please visit -
http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate
News stories include: -
• New Ham Radio Antenna Bill being Drafted
• Happy Birthday FUNcube-1 (AO73)
• Halfords Make Radio Signals Travel 'Super-Fast'
• Proposed FCC Auction of C-Band Increases Competition for
Allocation
• Clearing Radio Amateurs out of 3.4 GHz
• UK Beginners licence - KB6NU
• SARL Novice Award
• Ham Radio Day Aboard the RMS Queen Mary
• Hamvention Admission, Fees to Increase
Zorro, JH1AJT and his team will once again
visit Bhutan.
This time Zorro will have meetings with the Olympic Committee
and Bhutan Paralympic Committee for Bhutan's participation in
the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympic/Paralympic Games, especially
focusing on his support to Paralympic and Para-athletes.
Also he will discuss the possible participation of Bhutan in the
next Winter Olympic/Paralympic Games and preparation for that.
As always, Zorro cannot operate for long time as he has many
duties, but good operators in his team will do their best for
world-wide contacts.
They look forward to seeing you on the air!
Callsigns for this operation are as follows:
A50BOC (BOC stands for Bhutan Olympic Committee)
A50BPC (BPC stands for Bhutan Paralympic Committee)
A5B - Bhutan Team callsign
Schedule: December 11-20th
Bands: All bands (160-6 meters). Modes: All modes (CW, SSB, FT4
and FT8).
Operators mentioned are: Zorro/JH1AJT, Franz/DJ9ZB,
Adrian/KO8SCA,
Max/ON5UR and Champ/E21EIC.
QSL via JH1AJT: P.O. Box 8, Oiso, Naka-gun, KANAGAWA
255-0003, Japan.
An OQRS will be available at ClubLog after his return to Japan.
Support FGC - Foundation for Global Children:
http://www.fgc.or.jp/english
WEEKEND EDITION: A brisk 26 at 530 this morning but no damn
wind....Genius
hides Morse code in song.....Listen to the new episode of
ARRL Audio News on your iOS or Android podcast app, or online at
http://www.blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/.....K1JEK
XMAS PARTY REMINDER: THURSDAY DECEMBER 12 AT THE SALEM HRO
STORE FOLLOWED BY LUNCH AT THE CHINESE RESTAURANT NEXT STORE....A
few things you should
not do online.....FBI
warns us that smart tv's have cameras and some have facial
recognition, scary huh?....
ARRL’s 12 Days of Deals Start on Monday!
‘Tis the season to save. Beginning Monday, December 9, ARRL will
offer 12 days of deals. ARRL members and guest members who have
opted in to receive special offers and publication announcements
will receive an email 12 different days with a special online
deal.
A new deal will be distributed each day, Monday,
December 9 – Friday, December 13; Monday, December 16 – Friday,
December 20; Monday, December 23, and concluding on Tuesday,
December 24. Each deal is valid
online.
Unwrap a new ham radio deal every day through Christmas Eve!
Foundations of Amateur Radio
The SDR earthquake will change our hobby forever
In the early 1990's when I was a broadcaster I would come into
the studio and prepare my show. That involved hours of
preparation, but on the technology side it involved vinyl
records, reel-to-reel tape on open spools, looped tape on cart,
running edits and razorblades.
If you're not familiar, a running edit is where you're playing
the tape at normal speed and you hit record at just the right
moment to replace the content. Of course that also requires that
the thing you're recording is synchronised.
Imagine yourself with four hands and three ears and you'll have
a good idea. Razor blade edits required that you mark the tape
where the audio started, chop the tape at that point and stick
it to another piece of tape. The joy of having sticky tape,
razorblades and audio tape strewn around the room and hoping
that the tape didn't let go when you transferred the audio to a
broadcast tape.
If you wanted to play a song at the right time, you had to start
it by putting the needle on the record, spinning the platter until
you heard the song, then stopping the platter, winding back half or
three quarter turn from where the audio started, depending on the
speed and torque of the turntable, and then when you hit play, you'd
have about half a second until the music started.
At the beginning of the 1990's that was how it was done.
Then compact disc came in and we could cue up a song and hit the
go button and get almost instant sound. You could change tracks at
the turn of a dial. Vinyl records were phased out pretty quick.
In 1993 I switched radio station and instead of reel-to-reel we
used DAT, or Digital Audio Tape. It had the advantage that there was
no discernible loss of audio quality as you copied material, but
there was no editing, since the bits on the tape needed to be
aligned and you just couldn't do that with most of the available
gear. The start-up delay was horrendous too, several seconds if I
recall. A lifetime of dead air if you got it wrong.
You might be wondering why I'm going down memory lane like this?
The reason is that something changed, fundamentally, almost
overnight.
In 1995 Microsoft launched Windows 95. It was in August and as
the local computer show I organised a competition to give away a
copy of Windows 95. I edited my competition stinger, a 15 second and
a 30 second promotional audio segment, entirely on my computer.
Using SoundEdit 16 on my Macintosh computer I could overly tracks,
add voice-overs, move sound tracks around, add dozens of tracks,
change the left and right channel independently, amplify or delete
specific beats, all things that were completely impossible using the
gear in a radio station at the time.
When I brought my stinger into the station managers office on my
laptop computer, the earth shifted. Overnight everything changed. At
that point radio stations around the globe started the race towards
entirely being run from hard-disk. The digital revolution hit
broadcast audio.
That's almost a quarter century ago, but that change cannot be
overstated.
I think that in amateur radio we're looking at the same kind of
change with the same level of impact.
Today you can go online and buy a NanoVNA for less than a hundred
dollars. This device, a touch-screen driven tool, allows you to
measure electrical circuits. For example, you might connect an
antenna and measure the impedance of that antenna. If you connect a
reference antenna to the second port, you can even measure radiation
patterns.
Think about that for a moment.
You can measure a radiation pattern. That means that there is
something that radiates.
Does that sound familiar?
Perhaps like a transmitter?
So this NanoVNA is essentially a transmitter and receiver in one
box, currently runs up to 900 MHz, but the next version is already
in the works and it's slated to manage 3.5 GHz, for the same amount
of money.
So, a 3.5 GHz transceiver for less than a hundred bucks.
If you look at the internals of a NanoVNA, you'll notice that
it's got much of the same bits as a software defined radio, because
it is a software defined radio. Thanks to modern integration, at a
component level it has significantly less complexity than the early
1980's microcomputers I grew up with like the Commodore Vic 20.
Yes, I know, it's not quite a radio. There's different filtering,
different software, no audio input, or output for that matter, no
Morse key, it doesn't do FT8 or some other fancy mode, but guess
what, it's all software. The parts of this device aren't
complicated, they're cheap, simple to program and I don't think it's
going to take long before we see a new explosion of software defined
transceivers that are begging to be used by radio amateurs around
the globe.
We live in exciting times would be the understatement of the
year.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2197 ---a
rehash of the news
VANDALISM, THEFTS HAMPER AUSTRALIAN FIREFIGHTING EFFORT
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is the ongoing bushfire
devastation in Australia. One vital team suffered a new challenge
with its radio equipment - as we hear from Graham Kemp VK4BB.
GRAHAM: As bush fires continue to threaten parts of Australia, the
Northern Tablelands team of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service
suffered a serious setback:
Vandals struck a portable radio repeater trailer that firefighters
and aircraft depend on for vital communication links. Radio
equipment and numerous technical and mechanical components were
stolen from inside the damaged trailer, which had been deployed
southeast of Nymboida.
This has kept the trailer off line, placing fire crews in even more
danger as they push back against the deadly blazes.
The Nymboida fires are some 400 miles north of Sydney, capital city
of VK2.
As police continue their investigation into the vandalism and
thefts, one woman in Newcastle announced on Facebook that she had
combined her holiday party with a fundraiser to help with the
losses. She reported on the 1st of December that she had raised
nearly $1,200 at the event.
**
NEWSLINE ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR AWARD
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio Newsline proudly announces the winner
of our newscast's first International Newsmaker of the Year Award -
a group that has consistently shown leadership and commitment to the
ham radio community. Here's Ed Durrant DD5LP with our deserving
winner.
ED: What began 26 years ago in West Bengal, India as the result of
one ham radio operator's commitment to community service and safety
has blossomed into a powerhouse radio team of 285. The West Bengal
Radio Club helps with critical communications during cyclones and
earthquakes, reunites despairing families with missing members,
transmits election results from rural polling places and teaches
farmers who cannot afford lightning arresters to build their own
life-saving devices. Each January they also serve as a safety net
for the tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims who travel to the Bay of
Bengal and the River Ganges for the holy mela festival. Most
recently they helped put a stop to signal jamming that was blocking
deep-sea fishermen's access to essential broadcasts of cyclone
warnings.
Remarkably, the club accomplishes most of this operating simplex.
Ambarish (OMBARISH) Nag (NOG) Biswas VU2JFA said the club's most
urgent need is for a repeater. They have no money, no budget and
oftentimes members borrow equipment from the National Institute of
Amateur Radio, a large nonprofit club in Hyderabad (HY-dra-Bod).
We called Ambarish Nag Biswas, the club's founder and secretary, to
tell him the club is this year's International Newsmaker Award
recipient and here's what he had to say:
AMBARISH NAG BISWAS: "We are all so very much happy to say that we
will do from the land of Jagadish Chandra Bose, we promise to we
will do something for mankind using our radio hobby. Thank you.
**
'TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS' EVENT RETURNS
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The popular "12 Days of Christmas" on-air event is
back - and operators are getting ready. Jack Parker W8ISH gives us
the details.
JACK: The Twelve Days of Christmas are once again going to bring 12
days of QSOs as last year's popular holiday event returns for its
second year. Salli K2RYD and Lou NO2C (Enn Oh Two See) are preparing
to go back on the air along with many of last year's operators from
New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Oregon, Arizona and North Carolina.
Be listening for 12 days, starting on the 14th of December, for such
call signs as W2P - for Partridges - and W2T for Turtle Doves. You
will hear them on SSB, CW and satellite modes.
Then wait to unwrap your own holiday gift after January 1st, when a
special certificate will be available for you to download.
Organizers are proud of last year's total 12,200 contacts but hope
to surpass that number this year.
**
SILENT KEY: LEADING ARIZONA AMATEUR MARK KESAUER N7KKQ
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A respected leader in the Arizona ham radio
community has become a Silent Key. Mark Kesauer (KEZ-HOUR) N7KKQ
died on Thanksgiving Day, November 28th, of brain cancer. Mark was
perhaps best known among friends and fellow hams as an active
volunteer with the Amateur Radio Council of Arizona, having held
almost every board position as often as needed. In 2004 he served as
the Council's chairman. He and his wife Chris N7PVL, who is the
Council's treasurer, shared the Council's Ham of the Year award in
1999. Mark was also well known for doing what needed doing, whether
it was to serve as an awards coordinator, announcer, coordinator of
volunteers or working on WiFi and PA systems. He is also credited
rebuilding the Council's first Prowler Trailer.
**
SILENT KEY: PAUL RINALDO W4RI, FORMER ARRL CHIEF TECH OFFICER
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Another influential amateur -- and a leader at the
ARRL has become a Silent Key. Paul Rinaldo W4RI died on November
29th. Paul had been a leading voice on the global stage in amateur
radio and was responsible for establishing the ARRL's Technical
Relations Office in 1992 near Washington, D.C. In 2004 he became the
league's first Chief Technology Officer, a post he held until his
retirement in 2008. For years he was a frequent face and voice at
ITU conferences. He was also a board member of the United States ITU
Association. The Virginia resident, who was first licensed in 1949,
was 88.
**
NEW HAMS: THE VERY JUNIOR AND THE VERY SENIOR
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: When is the right age to become a ham? Ask the
newcomers in this next report from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
JIM: Amateur radio is as ageless, it seems, as the rookie radio
operators it attracts. A recent report in the Courier newspaper in
Iowa notes that Jane Buck of Cedar Falls recently passed her General
Class exam after three very earnest tries, and now shows off her
call sign KE0RKO on her car's license plate. She was inspired and
encouraged by her son Wayne KE0GTF. Jane Buck, rookie radio
operator, is 78.
Meanwhile, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 9-year-old Ciandra
Scarborough and 10-year-old Jhawanie Laidlow became the southern
Caribbean nation's youngest candidates to pass the technician class
test after completing a one-week series of free classes from the
Rainbow Radio League and partly sponsored by the National
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission. They were among 13 license
candidates in their class. Like Jane Buck, these amateur radio
candidates also had their share of encouraging words throughout the
process: Veteran hams stopped by during the one week of training to
give moral support and cheer them on
**
EFFORTS TO GET MORE YOUTH ON THE AIR
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: December is the month for celebrating young
operators on the air. While plans are under way for a Region 2 youth
radio camp this summer, young hams are already tuning up this month,
as Paul Braun WD9GCO tells us.
PAUL: The “Youth On The Air” organization is growing every year, and
this year it’s even bigger. Newsline’s own Neil Rapp WB9VPG is
organizing a Region 2 YOTA camp, and our 2018 Young Ham of the Year,
Bryant Rascoll KG5HVO, is very much involved in this month’s event,
as he explains:
RASCOLL: I am currently the YOTA Month coordinator for Region 2.
Region 1 started the YOTA Month activity in 2013 and they’ve had a
very successful program of encouraging youth to get on the radio,
especially during the month of December which is commonly known as
“Youngsters On The Air Month” or “Youth On The Air Month.”
This year, since the announcement of “Youth On The Air Region 2,” we
thought we would join Region 1 as well as Region 3 and have a joint
special-event operation that involves youth from all over the world.
So the goal is mainly to get youth on the radio. “Youth” is defined
as an operator under 25 years old.
PAUL: Rascoll explained that since we can’t use 4-letter suffixes
here in the USA, they have four separate 1 by 1 calls, each with a
letter that together spells out “YOTA.” You can find out more at the
website, YOTAregion2 dot org - that’s with the numeral 2. We
encourage everyone to try and work all of the stations involved in
this month’s event.
All of us at Newsline would also like to congratulate Bryant on
achieving the level of Eagle Scout, earning it with a service
project that includes amateur radio.
**
SCOUTS RELEASE REPORT FOR U.S. JAMBOREE ON THE AIR
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Organizers of this year's Jamboree on the Air have
released their report for participation in the United States. Bill
Stearns NE4RD tells us more.
BILL: This week in radio scouting the 2019 U.S. Jamboree on the Air
report is out! Based on the 201 station reports received following
the event: 9,106 Scouts and 4,677 Visitors participated this year.
The collective totals show a slight decrease in overall
participation however based upon the lower number of reporting
stations this is an increase in participation at event stations of
24% or 13 more participants per station.
The highlighted report comes from the WN7BSA station where they had
140 Cub Scouts and 85 Scouts. They operated two HF stations, three
2m stations and one 33cm station. Only a few contacts were made on
20 meters, but 40 meters was fairly active. VHF and UHF contacts
through local repeaters made up the deficit but the real "star" was
DSTAR through the KR7ST repeater in Sahuarita, AZ. See more of this
report on the K2BSA website.
The IcomAmerica ID-51A Plus 2 HT prize was selected via
RandomPicker.com and it goes to Robert Crow, KA8CDC, who was the
control operator and reporter of the K2BSA/8 station.
Congratulations Robert and thank you to IcomAmerica for supporting
Scouting.
For more information on this and radio scouting, please visit our
website at k2bsa.net.
**
NEW ZEALAND MAN INJURED IN HAM RADIO TOWER ACCIDENT
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: From New Zealand comes another cautionary tale
urging tower safety. Here's Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
JIM: In the North King Country town of Otorohanga the collapse of a
ham radio tower on the 1st of December left one person trapped,
according to local media reports. Police and four fire engines
responded to the scene, according to Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
There were no further details about the collapse or the person
involved but according to media accounts, by the time the emergency
personnel arrived, the individual was free. Media reports said that
a St. John's spokeswoman reported that they received a call for
someone who needed treatment for moderate injuries.
**
PHILIPPINES AUTHORITIES GRANT AMNESTY FOR UNLICENSED RADIOS
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There's good news for hams in the Philippines - it's
a period of amnesty to let them register their equipment. John
Williams VK4JJW has that story.
JOHN: The National Telecommunications Commission in the Philippines
is giving hams with unregistered repeaters, mobile radios or
portable radios and HF rigs a chance to register them until the 23rd
of December without penalties or surcharges. A November memorandum
from NTC officials offered guidelines for those wishing to come into
compliance with mandatory national registration. Under this amnesty
program the equipment can be registered at any NTC regional or
district office or during any mobile-licensing activities. The
equipment must be owned and operated by those holding a valid
licence to do so.
**
SINGLE-LETTER CALLSIGN SUFFIX COMES TO SPAIN
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Contesters in Spain just got a welcome approval from
authorities about their call signs. Ed Durrant DD5LP has that
development.
ED: Don't be surprised if you hear a ham from Spain calling QRZ and
his call sign has a single-letter suffix. The Spanish Amateur Radio
Union, or URE, recently secured approval for amateur radio operators
to be granted call signs with a suffix containing a single letter.
The announcement in late November on the URE website marks the
successful conclusion of the radio union's five-year battle with the
General Directorate of Telecommunications and Information
Technologies and the Ministry of Economy and Business. Meanwhile,
there is disappointing news from Switzerland where the national
amateur radio society, the USKA, learned of Ofcom's rejection of its
request for ham radio call signs for trainees. The Swiss proposal is
modelled after a system in Germany that allows trainees to gain
on-air operation experience under supervision of their mentor who
holds the training licence.
**
CANADIAN AMATEUR RADIO HALL OF FAME ADDS W. VANCOUVER HAM
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: There's a new name among the notables in the
Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has those
details.
JEREMY: His years of contributions and hard work have earned Ed
Frazer VE7EF a place in the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. The
West Vancouver ham was appointed by Radio Amateurs of Canada's
trustees for his long record of service to the amateur community. He
cofounded the British Columbia Amateur Radio Coordination Council
and has served it both as director and officer. He has also been RAC
director for the British Columbia and Yukon region and chairman of
the RAC's administration and finance committee. Ed also has been
president of the UBC Amateur Radio Club and the North Shore Amateur
Radio Club (NSARC).
Ed was also a former employee at British Columbia Telephone Company
and former chairman of the Vancouver Chapter of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
For eight years, he had chaired the Board of Trustees for the
Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame -- the very entity where his
name will now be listed among so many others.
**
WORLD OF DX
Gerard, F2JD, will be on the air as HR5/F2JD in Honduras from
December 12th through to April 4th. Listen for Gerard on 160-6 metre
using CW, SSB and the Digital modes. Send paper QSLs direct to F6AJA
or via the REF Bureau. Logs will be posted on the LNDX website.
Brad, VK2BY, will be active as HS0ZNR from Thiland between the 14th
of December and the 8th of January. Listen for Brad on 80 through 10
metres using SSB and FT8. QSL to VK2BY. Brad will upload his log to
Club-Log and LoTW.
Harald DF2WO is on the air from Burkina Faso through the 20th of
December. Listen for him as XT2AW on all bands 160 – 6m. Send QSLs
to M0OXO OQRS.
Members of the Hope Hill Contesters group are using the callsign
TO9W from St. Martin in the Caribbean through the 13th of December.
Send QSLs to W9ILY.
Matt IZ4YGS will be on the air from Ghana until the 28th of
December. He is using the callsign 9G5GS on all bands 160 – 15m on
FT8 and SSB. QSL to his home call.
**
KICKER: LONG-DISTANCE DEDICATION
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: If you're a DXer, the date of December 11th should
have a special meaning for you. In our final story of the week, Mike
Askins KE5CXP explains why.
MIKE: Happy 98th birthday to DX! No that's not someone's initials -
you all know better than that - it's the long-distance communication
so many of us can be found chasing late at night or in the early
hours of the morning -- and even from mountaintops and lighthouses.
It's been a feverish pursuit for so many radio amateurs especially
since December 11th, 1921 when the first "Transatlantic tests" event
was held, pushsing the limits of amateur frequencies. The idea was
to see if low power stations could get their message across the
ocean and into Europe.
Yes, it worked, didn't it? Radio Club of America station 1BCG in
Greenwich, Connecticut made contact with Scotland. To mark 98 years
of mostly good DX since then, the ARRL's station W1AW at the
Newington, Connecticut headquarters will operate on December 11th
from 1300 to 0000 hours UTC. Teams of volunteer operators will help
commemorate the milestone while underscoring how radio can connect
us, wave by wave, in the United States and Europe. Operating
frequencies will be posted on the message board and on web-based SDR
at k3fef dot com colon 8901 (k3fef.com:8901)
Be listening on that day for two other initials: CQ, CQ.
FRIDAY EDITION: K1JEK
XMAS PARTY REMINDER: THURSDAY DECEMBER 12 AT THE SALEM HRO
STORE FOLLOWED BY LUNCH AT THE CHINESE RESTAURANT NEXT STORE......TODAY'S
DUMBASS.....Looks like a cold weekend here in New England, a
touch of snow this afternoon, conditions have been pretty good on
10-20 meters as of late.....I bet this
guy was a ham....Make ham radio great again, don't belong to
cult ham radio groups, you know what I am talking about!.....BC
fired the football coach before the bowl season even began, of
course being invited to the "Toilet Bowl" consolation game is
nothing to brag about!.....Looks like fun, catch as many
snakes as you can competition....3928 is very active from
330 to 5pm every day if you want to join in on 75 meters in
the New England area- fun, no membership numbers, no excessive
id'ing, no big ego's welcome....Nice bunch of hams on 3843 most
nights from the mid-west to southern states for easy
listening...Enjoy the
Florida Keys while you can, it's going under water and too
expensive to save...Giving up on serving decent meals, New Zealand
airlines now serving
edible coffee cups....
Mud Duck from the Cape Cod Canal pulled his boat
out for the season but has not stopped fishing ....talk about
obsessive!
Maine makes waves - again
Waldo County Emergency Management Agency
Becomes the First to Deploy a New Wide-Area, Emergency,
Public-Information Radio Service
It’s not the first time a communication innovation has come out
of the State of Maine. In 1868, Mainer Joseph Stearns came up with a
way to carry on two ends of a conversation simultaneously on the
same wire, revolutionizing the telegraph industry; and later what
would become the "telephone" industry.
In that spirit, one Maine county, with the assistance of seasoned
amateur radio operators, is implementing the Nation’s first
county-wide emergency broadcast system, utilizing universally
available AM radio channels.
The new wide-area “RadioSAFE” system will be
utilized in emergency / disaster situations in which citizens are
cut off from power and communications – something that could easily
have happened had Hurricane Dorian steered a slightly different
course in September.
Explains Waldo County emergency management director Dale Rowley,
“We realized that the last option [in emergencies] most people have
for getting information is by broadcast radio.” It was December 2013
when the County experienced a massive ice storm that crippled the
power grid for a full week. Rowley recounts: “We established an
emergency shelter but could not get the word to residents that the
shelter was open! They couldn’t watch TV; and their smart-phone
batteries were dead. We realized that the last option that most
people have for getting information is by broadcast radio through
their car radio or with small battery-operated receiver. Then we
found out about emergency radio advisory stations.”
Though a power outage is the number-one situation in which the
county will utilize the service, emergency management officials say
it also could be of critical assistance in large-scale evacuations
due to forest fires, HAZMAT spills or other hazards that would
endanger the public.
Waldo County will be erecting road signs and will be using all
local media to promote the presence of the emergency service.
“During an emergency, we will send out a WEA (Wireless Emergency
Alert) to cell phones directing people to tune to the AM station for
more detailed information." adds Rowley.
Recognizing that an emergency AM radio system capable of covering
their entire county was not an off-the-shelf item, in 2018 Waldo
County reached out to equipment suppliers to propose the parameters
of such a service. That request resulted in the design (by
Information Station Specialists) of a high performance radio antenna
with the efficiency and power-handling capability to cover a radius
of more than 20 miles – what is required to cover the county.
Condensed versions of the RadioSAFE system are also available
with 6-10-mile and 3-5-mile signal coverage distances. Depending on
the version, a waiver and/or a Special Temporary Authority (STA) may
be required from the Federal Communications Commission for
operation.
The County then obtained a Subrecepient State Homeland Security
Grant to cover costs. Information Station Specialists designed
RadioSAFE wide-area emergency broadcast systems as a direct result
of the County’s expressed needs. The RadioSAFE system Waldo County
selected is under construction at this time on a hilltop tower site,
centrally located near the Town of Knox, Maine. Adjacent Lincoln
County (also in Maine) is proceeding with engineering work on a
similar system for their jurisdiction.
Amateur radio pros Brit Rothrock (Communications) and Robert Hoey
(GIS) within the Waldo County Emergency Management Agency are doing
the system planning and will be installing the new service at the
County's Aborn Hill tower site. The County's RadioSAFE System will
operate on AM Frequency 530 kHz, a channel designated exclusively
for TIS (Travelers’ Information Station) service in the United
States. There are no other broadcast stations on 530 kHz in the
Nation now, making it an ideal channel for emergency use.
Because frequencies for RadioSAFE operation are not universally
available, planning a system begins with a frequency search to
determine availability.
Iceland's national amateur radio society, the IRA,
report the special event call sign TF3YOTA will
be on the air for YOTA month
A translation of their post reads:
Call signs with the YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) extension have
already begun to be heard on tap, beginning in December.
"We will only be running later now than last year ," Elín said
in a conversation with the reporter, "but we will start on full
December 17" .
Then Elín Sigurðardóttir, TF2EQ and
Árni Freyr Rúnarsson, TF8RN, will start and activate
the call sign TF3YOTA. Their idea is also to invite young people
to the site and give them the opportunity to get acquainted with
the hobby and communication.
The YOTA project began last year (2018) and will be operational
in December each year. It is designed to increase young people's
interest in amateur radio. The project is under the auspices of
IARU Area 1 and all national amateur radio amateurs in the
Region are involved (as well as national members of Regions 2
and 3).
Elín Sigurðardóttir, TF2EQ, the Youth Representative of the IRA,
is also the IRA YOTA Project Manager together with Árni Frey
Rúnarsson, TF8RN.
Mathias Hagvaag, TF3MH, IRA QSL manager handles QSL issues as
before.
Ham radio to encourage student interest in science
The News Minute reports the Open Space Foundation
uses Amateur Radio to encourage young people to take an interest in
science
The News Minute says:
Open Space Foundation was started in 2013 by Surender Ponnalagar
(23), Bharath Kumar VU3BRE (21), Dinesh Kumar (19) and Anupama
Pradeepan (23) - all of whom met at various science events. While
Anupama is currently employed, the other three are doing their
Masters'.
“Our idea is to take science to rural students. There are many
opportunities for students to explore science, but most are unaware
of these. We ourselves got to know about it only later. The idea of
OSF is to develop science hobbies in children,” he explains.
Initially, the four would travel to different schools with simple
science equipment like telescope, microscope etc to conduct one-day
science forums. A couple of years later, they realised that this
method was not helping their mission. That's when they came up with
Open Science Centres (OSC) in schools.
The first OSC was set up at Municipal Middle School in Tiruppur. “We
make it a point to meet students two to three times every week,
during non-working days. We have selected 30 students based on
interest, with help from teachers, to be trained in OSC,” he adds.
And the very first idea that they introduced to students was the ham
radio, also known as the amateur radio.
Any student who has completed 12 years of age is eligible to obtain
the ham radio licence from the government. “There is an easy exam
that anyone with basic electrical knowledge can pass. The ham radio
is the best way to learn and discuss science. You can communicate
with anyone across the world, share your recent science experiments.
It is a very good hobby,” he says, the excitement evident in his
voice.
FCC Amending Amateur Radio RF Exposure Safety Rules
The FCC is amending its Part 97 Amateur Service rules relating
to RF exposure safety. In a
lengthy document in ET Docket 19-226
released on December 4 that addresses a broad range of RF safety
issues, the FCC said current amateur radio RF exposure safety
limits will remain unchanged, but that the amateur-specific
exemption from having to conduct an RF exposure evaluation will
be replaced by the FCC’s general exemption criteria. Radio
amateurs have always had to comply with RF exposure limits, but
certain stations have been exempt from having to conduct
evaluations based only upon power and frequency. The Commission
indicated that by and large, if an RF source was “categorically
excluded” from routine evaluation under the old rules, it will
most likely still be exempt under the new rules, which are
expected to take effect in the next couple of months.
“For
applicants and licensees in the Amateur Radio Service, we
substitute our general exemption criteria for the specific
exemption from routine evaluation based on power alone in
Section 97.13(c)(1) and specify the use of
occupational/controlled limits for amateurs where appropriate,”
the FCC said.
“The sky is not falling here,” ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare,
W1RFI, commented. “The major aspects of the rules will not
impose major new burdens on the Amateur Radio Service. As in all
regulatory matters, though, the devil may be in the details, so
the ARRL technical staff, legal staff, and the experts on the
ARRL RF Safety Committee are carefully evaluating this FCC
document.”
Under the revised Section 97.13(c)(1), “In lieu of evaluation
with the general population/uncontrolled exposure limits,
amateur licensees may evaluate their operation with respect to
members of his or her immediate household using the
occupational/controlled exposure limits in Section 1.1310,
provided appropriate training and information has been accessed
by the amateur licensee and members of his/her household,” the
amended rule says.
“RF exposure of other nearby persons who are not members of
the amateur licensee’s household must be evaluated with respect
to the general population/uncontrolled exposure limits.
Appropriate methodologies and guidance for evaluating Amateur
Radio Service operation is described in the Office of
Engineering and Technology (OET)
Bulletin 65, Supplement B,” the revised
rule concludes.
The FCC said it was not persuaded by ARRL’s argument in its
comments that the routine evaluation exemption for amateur radio
stations operating below a certain power threshold should be
maintained. “Amateur radio licensees operate a variety of
installations of different size, power, and frequency, which can
be located in close proximity to people, giving rise to various
RF exposure concerns,” the FCC noted.
In a meeting with FCC OET Chief Julius Knapp and senior staff
in early November, ARRL asked the FCC to make available on the
internet a calculator to facilitate making the correct
calculations the rules require. ARRL said that would be
preferable to unofficial third-party calculators, the results
from which might not be accorded the same degree of deference in
local disputes. Several software programs were suggested as
models.
The FCC did not single out amateur radio in drafting its
latest RF exposure rules. The rules affect multiple services,
and exemptions for many other services were also deleted as part
of a broader policy driven by a proliferation of RF devices,
some resulting in situations where gain antennas are sited much
closer to people than was expected in 1996 when the rules were
last revised.
Dayton Hamvention Admission, Fees to Increase in 2020
Dayton Hamvention®
is increasing the cost of admission and its booth fees.
Hamvention General Chair Jack Gerbs, WB8SCT, announced this week
that general admission would rise by $4 per ticket to $26 in
advance or $31 at the gate for all 3 days. The cost of flea
market spots will go up by $5 per space, and inside exhibitors
will pay $30 more.
“Hamvention has always strived to produce a
very high-quality event for amateur radio enthusiasts from
around the globe,” Gerbs said. “We have always felt it is
imperative that we give back to amateur radio at many levels. We
have been very generous in our support over the years.” Gerbs
cited “the economic pressures to present a show like Hamvention”
as the reason for the price increases.
“The Hamvention Executive Team is asking for your support and
understanding as we move forward together,” he said.
FT4 and JS8 added to the RFzero
A new version of the RFzero library:
http://www.rfzero.net/ has been released that among other things
include FT4 and JS8 encoding. Thus the RFzero is now able to
transmit PC-less FT4 free text or hex messages and JS8 heartbeat
message from kHz to GHz.
The RFzero is a multi-purpose GPS controlled RF unit. It can be
used as a beacon (IBP, SPB, CW, FT4, FT8, JS8, JT9, PI4, WSPR, …),
signal generator, VFO, QO-100 dual LO, low cost GPSDO, e.g. for 10
MHz, or … Furthermore, is the RFzero an Arduino compatible platform.
So it is possible for you to write or modify the software yourself.
More than 20 programs, Arduino sketches, are integrated into the
Arduino IDE for easy upload to the RFzero.
THURSDAY EDITION: Old Santa is arriving by boat this
Saturday followed by the town Xmas tree lighting, singing of carols,
Christmas Concert at the music theatre, shops all open for shopping
and serving some Xmas cheer....even I am getting the Xmas
spirit!....Real-life
Clark Griswold Christmas display with 30K lights destroyed by
truck.........I started to watch
Man vs. Bear
last night, until I realized it was one of the most worthless
shows ever produced....Cockfighting,
I can't believe it still exists....Today's
Asshat Award goes to this guy...Lot's of activity on 10-20
meters during the daytime, give it a whirl and have some fun! And
remember that ham radio is a hobby, it's supposed to be fun!.....
Exclusive ham radio club seeks new members
Licensed amateur radio operators who belong to American Mensa or
any other national Mensa organization have a club to call their own:
It's the Mensa Ham Radio Special Interest Group,
or HAMSIG.
It's believed that perhaps as many as 30,000 hams in the United
States alone would qualify for Mensa membership, meaning they test
at or above the 98th percentile on any number of approved
intelligence tests.
Mensa is said to be waiving its customary exam fee through
December 31 for applicants who use the voucher code BigSky19 - and
the code can be used at
https://www.us.mensa.org/join/
Oldest Known US Ham Receives ARRL Centurion Award
The oldest known US radio amateur, Cliff Kayhart, W4KKP,
received his ARRL Centurion Award plaque in November. The award
recognizes hams who have achieved centenarian status. Kayhart,
who lives in White Rock, South Carolina, is 108. The ARRL Board
of Directors conferred the award on Kayhart at its July 2019
meeting.
At the November meeting of the Dutch Fork Amateur
Radio Group in Little Mountain, South Carolina, ARRL Roanoke
Division Director Bud Hippisley, W2RU, headed an ARRL delegation
that presented the Centurion Award plaque to Kayhart, who was
first licensed as W2LFE in 1937 (he’s also held W9GNQ). With
Hippisley were Roanoke Division Vice Director Bill Morine,
N2COP, and South Carolina Section Manager Marc Tarplee, N4UFP.
Kayhart served on Iwo Jima during World War II, shortly after
the US victory there, setting up long-range radio communication
from the island to Tokyo to arrange for the eventual surrender
by Japan.
Kayhart remains active, checking into several nets from his
assisted living facility. Centurion Award recipients have their
annual ARRL membership fees waived while continuing to receive
QST and other ARRL member benefits. Kayhart was profiled
in the June 2018 issue of QST.
The last Morse code maritime radio station in North America
| Bartell's Backroads
1999 marked the last time a commercial Morse code
message was supposedly transmitted to ships at sea, but
if you head to Point Reyes, Morse code is alive and
well.
Author: John Bartell
Published: 11:05 PM PST December
2, 2019
Updated: 11:05 PM PST December
2, 2019
MARIN COUNTY, Calif. — Video killed the radio star and
satellites killed commercial Morse code messaging. The
year 1999 marked the end of an era, it was the
last time a commercial morse code message was
supposedly transmitted to ships at sea.
However, if
you travel to Point Reyes, Morse code signal is alive
and well at
KPH Maritime Radio Station. It is the last Morse
code maritime radio station in the world.
Ham for the Holidays: Amateur Radio Operators, Then and Now
The Los Altos History Museum serves up “Ham
for the Holidays: Amateur Radio Operators, Then and Now,” a
historical perspective on how radio hobbyists help keep
neighborhoods safe during disasters, in an exhibit appearing in
the J. Gilbert Smith House through January 5, 2020.
They say: Tis the season for giving thanks, and around the
holidays we are especially grateful for our local amateur
radio operators. Known as “hams,” these volunteers help keep
our community safe throughout the year at regular public
events and during times of crisis. In this exhibit, learn
more about the history of hams and how a fun hobby can also
keep our neighborhoods prepared and resilient.
The exhibit
is free to the public, and open Thursday-Sundays, noon-4pm
A planetary wave is supercharging noctilucent clouds over
Antarctica
An atmospheric wave almost half the size of Earth is
supercharging noctilucent clouds above Antarctica, according to new
data from NASA's AIM spacecraft.
A rare sighting in New Zealand just a few nights ago highlights
how bright the clouds have become as a growing mass of frosted
meteor smoke pinwheels around the South Pole.
WEDNESDAY WINTER WONDERLAND ISSUE: Winter Wonderland bull
shit, snow is a pain in my ass. It's like burning wood, you move it
5 times before you need it, its a mess, heavy, and buggy. If
you cut it from log length to 16" length and then split it, and
stack it, that's even worse, another few pieces of gas equipment to
maintain and store. I had 4 tons of BioBricks delivered and loaded
into the basement on pallets. I go down once day and lug
up one neatly packed 40 pound bundle and that's it for the day. Only
thing easier than that is a pellet stove but I like the look and
feel of the Vermont Casting stove and it's quiet, no damn blower, no
power needed if electricity gets knocked out, no breaking it down
and cleaning it (well I empty the ash tray once a week)...I guess I
am getting old and looking for "easy" in my life. Back to snow, pain
in the ass. I have to go out today and knock the snow off the
shrubbery which is extensive in the yard...I need to get to Florida
and it's only early December....on brighter note:
December 12th reminder:
K1JEK hosting the Annual XMAS Party in Salem, NH at HRO Headquarters
starting at 11am All are welcome. Guest Speaker is tentatively
Warren- WS1D who will be talking about his early career testing
football helmets, backup speaker is "Mud Duck" Bob speaking of life
on the Cape Cod Canal and the complexities of running high power on
75 meters on his boat maritime mobile.....
1912, Warren got 25 cents for each helmet he could
find defective....when men were men....
US State Department Seeks Foreign Service Information Management
Technical Specialists – Radio
The US Department of State is currently accepting applications
for Foreign Service Information Management Technical Specialists
– Radio (IMTS-R) positions. Foreign Service IMTS-Rs design,
install, and maintain radio and telecommunications systems. They
provide radio support for presidential, congressional, and other
VIP visits. These radio specialists work from a regional
location, overseas or domestically. Extensive travel is required
to support radio telecommunications systems, such as land mobile
radio (LMR), HF, VHF, and UHF radio networks at State Department
missions around the world. Potential applicants should read the
vacancy announcement to ensure that they
meet all of the requirements before applying.
To begin the
online application process, visit
USAJOBS. The deadline to submit completed
applications is December 31, 2019. Applicants must be US
citizens, at least 20 years old to apply, and at least 21 years
old to be appointed. Applicants must also be available for
worldwide service and be able to obtain all required security,
medical, and suitability clearances.
Boy Scouts Report Increased JOTA 2019 Station Participation
The Boy Scouts of America report that,
although overall JOTA 2019 participation was down slightly from
2018, “our calculations show that each station averaged an
additional 13 people in attendance over 2019. This shows an
aggregate increase of 24% attendance per station, even with our
reported stations being down from 266 in 2018 to 201 in 2019."
The Scouts reported that 13,783 individuals took part in JOTA
2019, down from 14,708 in 2018.
Latest Icom SDR amateur radios supplied to RSGB National
Radio Centre
If you have recently visited the Radio Society of Great
Britain’s National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park you will have
noticed two new radio additions. Icom has provided the
IC-7300 SDR Transceiver and IC-9700 SDR
Transceiver to the centre to allow it to promote
amateur radio with the latest cutting edge Icom radio
technology.
The National Radio Centre (NRC) which opened in 2012 has a
primary goal to promote amateur radio as an integrated technical
hobby and encourage people to become radio amateurs. Its other
remit is to help increase awareness of the hobby so that (for
example) neighbours might be more informed when a planning
application or EMC issue arises. On a broader level, the centre
plans to demonstrate that amateur radio can be part of a wider
STEM application and that a career in engineering (particularly
radio communication engineering) is very worthwhile.
The NRC has been immensely successful. In 2017 it welcomed
23,000 visitors and this increased in 2018 to more than 55,000
visitors. Year to date in 2019 (end of September) the centre has
introduced just over 80,000 visitors to see amateur radio in
action.
Icom UK has supplied two of its latest SDR radios to the
centre in addition to the GB7BP D-STAR repeater that is situated
onsite.
The IC-7300 HF/50/70MHz SDR Transceiver is being used (with
TX disabled) for visitors to tune around the amateur bands,
giving practical hands-on experience of using a high-grade
modern SDR transceiver.
The IC-9700 is the NRC’s flagship VHF/UHF transceiver for
2m / 70cm operation, running CW / SSB / FM simplex and D-STAR
digital Amateur radio.
The main benefits of having the latest Icom SDR radios at the
centre:
• Ease of use and small physical footprint – nicely accommodated
on the radio bench
• Huge range of bands available in just two radios (IC-7300 /
IC-9700)
• Ability to demonstrate/run several radios simultaneously when
the radio room is busy with different groups of visitors
• The opportunity to run D-STAR repeater QSOs, which previously
the NRC was unable to demonstrate to visitors
The addition of these radios also allows the RSGB, through
the NRC, to demonstrate many exciting aspects of amateur radio
to its visitors and inspire:
• Existing amateurs to try new aspects of the hobby
• Amateurs whose license has lapsed to get active again and back
on the bands
• People into the technical hobby by using some of the latest
technology available commercially on the amateur market
Martyn Baker (G0GMB), RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator,
said, ‘Both the RSGB, and in particular the NRC, are most
appreciative of both the IC-7300 & IC-9700, as, without them, it
would be much harder to inspire visitors and potentially recruit
new interest in amateur radio.’
To find out more about the National Radio Centre visit
www.rsgb.org/nrc .
If you are a member of the RSGB, don’t forget you can get free
entry to Bletchley Park and the NRC by downloading a voucher
at:
www.rsgb.org/bpvoucher .
Impact of VDSL interference on the Amateur Radio Service
In November Ofcom published the result of technical surveys on
the effects of electromagnetic emissions from Openreach cables
carrying VDSL services but their conclusion seemed
markedly different from the RSGB's
What needs to be done by BT Openreach to reduce RF Interference?
The RSGB say:
• Improve Line Balance where necessary – we have a mechanism in
place to request line balance on nearby lines via the EMC Committee
but this improves <10% cases
• Clean-up self-installs - difficult for a neighbouring property but
Openreach should fit NTE5C with Mk4 faceplate which also improves
broadband speeds and increases immunity
• Remove upstream band interference by universally notching 10.1 to
10.15MHz with guard-bands and by increasing the D1 to U1 guard-band
to always protect 3.7 to 3.8MHz emergency frequencies
• Selectively notch amateur bands in downstream (particularly 14MHz
band) at affected premises
• Reroute the overhead cables so they are further from the amateurs’
antennas when necessary
• Provide FTTP instead of FTTC at problem locations
Rare stratospheric clouds sighted in the Arctic
Around the Arctic Circle, sky watchers are reporting rare
clouds nearly as colorful as the Northern Lights.
Floating through the stratosphere, where clouds do not
belong, their icy forms are visible even after sunset. These
clouds can only form when the Arctic stratosphere is exceedingly
cold.
HAM radios aren’t just a thing of the
past...or cheap
BUCKHANNON — A couple of local people are seeking to
spread awareness and help promote telecommunication by use of HAM
radios. Buckhannon residents Fred and Stacy Suder both have licenses
to operate the amateur radios and want to help others utilize this
amazing method of communicating.
Long before the internet and cell services, the study of
electromagnetic fields and radio communication dates back to the
1870s, which was 50 years after Samuel F.B. Morse invented the Morse
code, around 1832. The HAM Radio or, “Amateur Radio,” is a complex
radio that can be traced back over 100 years. Many still use it
today, but people must be licensed to operate radio bands.
According to the National Association for Amateur Radio, James
Clerk Maxwell, a main pioneer of amateur radio, presented a theory
about electromagnetic fields in 1873 that would eventually lead
others to experiment with radio devices, which included high power
and antennas. The Radio Act of 1912 required amateurs to be licensed
and restricted them to the single wavelength of 200 meters. Two
years later, Hiram Percy Maxim founded the American Radio Relay
League and noticed that if more relay stations were organized,
communication would be more reliable over longer distances. Soon,
tests were being made with transmission and receiving over the
Transatlantic beginning in 1921. Eventually, the first two-way
contact would be made via the Moon by July 1960 on 1296 MHz.
Mr. Suder mentioned, “HAM radio operators were some of the first
to operate and transmit with even creating their own call letters at
the time it was being invented.” He continued to explain how
different radio bands respond separately. “For example, on 160
meters which is near the am broadcast band, at night you can talk to
folks in Florida. That’s why WBUC isn’t on the air at night. If they
were on the air at night on the am, you’d hear them in Florida. And
that’s why they operate during daytime only,” Suder mentioned.
“You don’t see too many HAM radios nowadays. It used to be more
popular in the ‘60s. For me, it’s been a hobby for all my life, but
once you understand the importance of amateur radios or when you
study to get a license, it comes in handy when all else fails. Many
of these units are used for emergency situations and the military
still uses them,” Suder stated. “Most of my family are licensed to
operate amateur radios. My main goal is to get the word out and it
would be nice to have a county club. Some of the counties in our
state have clubs like Doddridge, Monongalia, Logan, Raleigh, Kanawha
and a lot more; WVU even has a club for amateur radios. The range of
telecommunication with these radios are so powerful and distant, you
can speak to people from just in your town or someone directly in
another country on the other side of the Earth. They’re so strong
that they even reach to outer space,” Suder said.
“My main goal is to stress the opportunity for young folk to get
them involved in something that you don’t see too frequently
anymore. It’s a great hobby and service to pick up on, and
introduces people to the electronics and telecommunication that are
unlike the communication we mostly use today with cell phones and
the internet,” Suder emphasized. “People may get involved for
different reasons, but have a basic knowledge of radio technology
and operation principles. You must pass an examination for an FCC
license to be qualified to operate on radio bands. They call them
‘Amateur Bands’ that have been assigned by the FCC (or Federal
Communications Commission). You used to have to learn Morse Code
too, in order to pass the examination years ago,” he stated. “A good
buddy of mine and I was inspired as teenagers to obtain our license
and then eventually acquiring the top license. My first Call letters
were K8WYH,” Suder proudly expressed.
Fred and Stacy Suder currently have a “Go Fund Me” fundraiser on
Facebook, in order to help young people purchase online courses for
Amateur Radio. “It teaches the youth about emergency communications
and gives them an opportunity for advanced learning. Anyone can
obtain a license. There are kids under the age of 10 learning to
operate HAM radios,” Suder further stated. You can contact Fred and
Stacy through Facebook @Fred Stacy Suder or by email at
fredstacysuder1@yahoo.com to contribute to their cause or for more
information about Amateur Radio licensing.
TUESDAY EDITION: Gale winds blew all night and I have only 2
inches of snow but it is supposed to snow until early afternoon.
Looking at 5-6 inches of white stuff....December
12th reminder: K1JEK hosting the Annual XMAS Party in Salem,
NH at HRO Headquarters starting at 11am All are welcome, even FT8
ops........
ISS SSTV December 4-6
Russian cosmonauts are expected to activate Slow Scan Television
(SSTV) image transmissions on 145.800 MHz FM from the International
Space Station on Wednesday to Friday, December 4, 5 and 6.
This is the schedule for the planned activation of the MAI-75 SSTV
activity from the ISS.
• Dec 4: On – 12:00 GMT, Off – 16:50 GMT
• Dec 5: On – 11:25 GMT, Off – 17:15 GMT
• Dec 6: On – 10:20 GMT, Off – 16:40 GMT
SKYWARN Recognition Day Participation Webinar Set for December 4
A webinar will held on Wednesday, December 4, at 8:30 PM EST
(December 5 at 0130 UTC) for those interested in participating
in SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD),
which marks its 20th anniversary this year. On Saturday,
December 7, 0000 to 2400 UTC, radio amateurs will be on the air
from National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices across the
country, celebrating the long relationship between the amateur
radio community and the NWS SKYWARN program. Traditionally,
radio amateurs have assisted the mission of the NWS through
providing near real-time reports of severe weather and storm
development, which have proven invaluable to NWS forecasters.
During SRD, participants exchange contact information with as
many NWS stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2
meters, plus 70 centimeters. Stations exchange call signs,
signal reports, and locations, plus a quick description of the
weather at your location (e.g., sunny, partly cloudy, windy,
rainy, etc.). WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center
will also be on the air for SRD, 1300 – 1700 UTC. Developed in
1999, SRD is cosponsored by ARRL and the NWS.
December is Youth on the Air (YOTA) Month, when stations
operated by young radio amateurs around the world will get on
the air to celebrate youth in amateur radio.
YOTA Month
began a few years ago in International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
Region 1, and the concept has now taken root in the Americas as
YOTA Month in the
Americas.
During YOTA Month, radio amateurs aged
25 and younger will be on the air as special event stations
during December on various bands and modes. In the US, look for
K8Y, K8O, K8T, and K8A. Elsewhere in the Americas, VE7YOTA will
be on the air from Canada. XR2YOTA in Chile has been added to
the list of youth stations in the Americas for YOTA Month. Young
hams in other countries may also join in. Listen for other YOTA
Month stations with “YOTA” suffixes.
For more information about YOTA in the Americas, contact YOTA
Month in the Americas Coordinator
Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO,
or YOTA in the Americas Camp Director
Neil Rapp,
WB9VPG.
Participants earn certificates by working the various YOTA-suffix
stations on the air throughout December. Not a contest, the
event is aimed at getting as many youngsters on air from as many
countries as possible. The event takes place from 0000 UTC on
December 1 until 2359 UTC on December 31.
Other special call signs planning to be on the air include
5B19YOTA, 7X2YOTA, 7X3YOTA, 9A19YOTA, DH0YOTA, E71YOTA, EF4YOTA,
EG2YOTA, EI0YOTA, EM5YOTA, EM6YOTA, ET3YOTA, GB19YOTA, HA6YOTA,
HB9YOTA, HG0YOTA, II4YOTA, II8YOTA, LY5YOTA, OH2YOTA, OL19YOTA,
ON4YOTA, PA6YOTA, PD6YOTA, SH9YOTA, TC19YOTA, TC3YOTA, TM19YOTA,
YO0YOTA, YT19YOTA, ZL6YOTA and ZS9YOTA.
Past ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo,
W4RI (SK)
A titan of Amateur Radio, past ARRL Chief Technology Officer
Paul L. Rinaldo, W4RI, of Burke, Virginia, died on
November 29 after a period of failing health. An ARRL Life Member,
Rinaldo was 88.
"This is really sad news," ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR,
remarked upon learning of Rinaldo's passing. "I worked with Paul on
a number of things, and he amazed me with his knowledge and the
different ways to consider issues. Smart. Highly respected. He sure
helped us through the years in so many ways."
First licensed in 1949 as W9IZA (he also held W3FFH and K4YKB
over the years), Rinaldo's focus was always in the arena of
technical experimentation. He studied radio engineering at
Valparaiso Technical Institute in Indiana.
Rinaldo was a cofounder and served as president of the Amateur
Radio Research and Development Corporation (AMRAD). His first
association with ARRL was an article, "Amateur Radio in the Computer
Age," for the September 1979 edition of QST. Subsequently, he served
in volunteer roles, among them as the first editor of QEX: The ARRL
Experimenters' Exchange.
In 1983, Rinaldo succeeded Doug DeMaw, W1FB, as ARRL Technical
Department Manager and Senior Technical Editor. His efforts led to
his appointment as Publications Manager and, 5 years later, as
Manager of Technical Development with responsibility for preparing
for the 1992 World Administrative Radio Conference. This led to
Rinaldo's supporting role in the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU),
and he attended IARU Administrative Council (AC) meetings from 1996
to 2008, serving on several occasions as recording secretary.
"Paul's presence at the AC meetings was never simply clerical and
was primarily to allow the AC to tap his unique expertise," IARU
Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, noted. Rinaldo also took part in
several International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conferences and
served on numerous working parties and task groups. Sumner said
amateur radio's successes at the just-ended WRC-19 were, in large
part, because of Rinaldo's good work over the years.
In 1992, Rinaldo established ARRL's Technical Relations Office in
the Washington, DC, area, which expanded as preparations for World
Radiocommunication Conferences became an ongoing need. In 2004, the
ARRL Board of Directors elected Rinaldo as ARRL's first Chief
Technology Officer, a post he held until his retirement in 2008.
"For the past 16 years, Paul has been the face and voice of
amateur radio in the technical circles of the federal government and
one of our most visible representatives at the ITU," Sumner said at
the time.
"We all had enormous respect for Paul and what he brought to IARU,"
IARU Region 1 President Don Beattie, G3BJ, commented. "People
with his breadth of knowledge and experience, and the ability to
apply it in a sensitive way, are all too rare."
Rinaldo was a board member of the United States ITU Association
and a Life Senior Member of the IEEE. He also served on the IEEE-USA
Committee on Communications Policy.
MONDAY EDITION: Three day storm now in day two this
morning, howling winds gusting 45mph+ and rain, we escaped the snow.
Tonight into tomorrow we are supposed to not be so lucky and get 5-8
inches of the white shit.....I see the ARRL has their hands out
looking for money again, articles below.....We got the Xmas tree up
and lit, remember when you were a kid and it was your job to keep
the tree lit...important job when the bulbs were wired in series! Of
course today, little Sparky would not be allowed to do such a
dangerous and stressful job. I am so glad to have grown up as a kid
in the 50-60's, good times, good music, ham radio was fun, .....I
didn't have to drink water out of plastic bottles, I could use the
bubbler, no mandated Obama's lunch program, didn't have play dates,
my mother home every day when we got home from school with something
baking in the oven, only one phone and tv in the house, always had
dinner as a family at 6pm sharp, didn't have take out food, we all
had part time jobs as kids and chores around the house, life was a
shit load easier then and we didn't need to have an officer assigned
to the school all day to protect us or a full time shrink in the
guidance office so Sparky and Princess could cope with life's
injustices.
Support ARRL when you shop AmazonSmile on Cyber Monday
Planning to shop on Amazon this Cyber Monday? If so, remember to
shop
smile.amazon.com, and Amazon will make a contribution to
ARRL. This helps the League to extend its reach in public
service, advocacy, education, technology, and membership.
Support ARRL as you shop your holiday gifts, decorations, and
more. You shop. Amazon gives. Bookmark
ARRL’s
link and support Amateur Radio and ARRL every
time you shop online this holiday season.
ARRL is Participating in “#Giving Tuesday” on December 3
ARRL is taking part in #GivingTuesday on December 3. This
global day of giving invites individuals to celebrate the
holiday season by giving back and creating change in their
communities and their world. Many of ARRL’s programs and
services are not covered by membership fees alone. Your
contributions to the Education & Technology Fund, the Spectrum
Defense Fund, and the Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund have a
tremendous impact on ARRL’s ability to promote amateur radio and
better serve members.
On #GivingTuesday (December 3)
only, donate $75 or more and we’ll send you a free 2020 ARRL
calendar, featuring ham radio projects by our members. Join the
#GivingTuesday movement and
make
your gift now. Type “Giving Tuesday” in the
“Additional Comments”box to receive your free calendar.
Thank you for supporting ARRL!
Radio hams take part in Day of Science 2019
On Sunday, November 24 radio amateurs from across Flanders in
Belgium took part in the Day of Science 2019. Some
made good use of the RSGB video - Amateur Radio a hobby for the 21st
century
A translation of a UBA post reads:
The Flemish government organizes Science Day every year. This year
amateurs participated in 5 places: the NBT section was a guest at
the MIRA Public Observatory in Grimbergen, HAC at EnergyVille in
Genk, MWV and KTK at the Vives Hogeschool in Roeselare, LVN at the
KU Leuven and TLS in its own club room.
The NBT (MIRA people's observatory, Grimbergen) reported:
Like every year, our club again took part in the Day of Science in
collaboration with the Volks observatory Mira. In total almost 300
visitors came to Grimbergen.
In the workshop "Build your electronic dice", 18 children could gain
their first experience with the soldering iron. Some really had a
taste for it and came to us right from the workshop of the Leuven
section. Everyone went home with a working dice and a big smile.
The giant Tetris caught the attention of young and old. While the
little one played the game, more than one parent also went to the
back to find out how we made this game. Flickering lights always
work!
The station was staffed all day long and contacts were made with
both OR and VHF with the OR18NBT call. On the big screen the video
of the RSGB played with Dutch subtitles to show all facets of our
hobby.
Bernhard Isemann OE3BIA / PA3BI gave a talk on
the Galileo GNSS constellation at the ÖVSV Amateur Radio Center on
Wednesday, November 27
While the slides were in English Bernhard gave the talk in German.
Fortunately YouTube makes it understandable, simply Click the CC
icon then in Settings (cog icon next to CC) select
Auto-translate->English
New England Hams
you might run across 75
meters.........
K1TP-
Jon....Editor of As The World
Turns.... KB1OWO-
Larry...Handsome Fellow
,Only cuts lawn in August, plows
snow the rest in Jackman, Maine W1GEK-
Big Mike....Nearfest Cook, big
motor home, electronics software
engineer ... AA1SB-
Neil...Living large traveling
the country with his
girlfriend...loves CW N1YX-
Igor....peddles quality Russian
keys, software engineer K1BGH...Art.....Restores
cars and radio gear, nice fella... N1XW.....Mike-easy
going, Harley riding kind of
guy!
K1JEK-Joe...Easy going, can
be found at most ham flea market
...Cobra Antenna builder.. KA1GJU-
Kriss- Tower climbing pilot who
cooks on the side at
Hosstrader's... W1GWU-Bob....one
of the Hosstrader's original
organizers, 75 meter regular,
Tech Wizard!!! K1PV-
Roger....75 meter regular, easy
going guy... W1XER...Scott....easy
going guy, loves to split
cordwood and hunt... WS1D-
Warren- "Windy" - Bullnet KB1VX-
Barry- the picture says it all,
he loves food! KC1BBU-
Bob....the Mud Duck from the
Cape Cod Canal, making a lot of
noise.
W1STS- Scott...philosopher,
hat
connoisseur,
KB1JXU-
Matthew...75 meter regular...our
token liberal Democrat out of VT KA1BXB-Don....75
meter Regular......residing on
the Cape of Cod, flying planes
and playing radio KMIG-Rick....75
Meter Regular....teaches the
future of mankind, it's scary! K1PEK-Steve..Founder
of Davis-RF....my best friend
from high school K9AEN-John...Easy
going ham found at all the ham
fests
K1BXI- John.........Dr.
Linux....fine amateur radio op
....wealth of experience... K1BQT.....Rick....very
talented ham, loves his
politics, has designed gear for
MFJ...
W1KQ- Jim- Retired
Air Force
Controller...told quite a few
pilots where to go! N1OOL-Jeff-
The 3936 master plumber and
ragchewer... K1BRS-Bruce-
Computer Tech of 3936...multi
talented kidney stone passing
ham...
K1BGH- Arthur, Cape Cod,
construction company/ice cream
shop, hard working man.... W1VAK-
Ed, Cape Cod, lots of experience
in all areas, once was a Jacques
Cousteus body guard.... K1BNH-
Bill- Used to work for a bottled
gas company-we think he has been
around nitrous oxide to long .
Silent KeyVA2GJB-
Graham...one of the good 14313
guys back in the day.
Silent KeyK1BHV-
David...PITA
Silent Key
W1JSH-
Mort...Air Force man
Silent KeyK1MAN--Glen....PITA
Silent KeyKB1CJG-"Cobby"-
Low key gent can be found on
many of the 75 meter
nets.........
Silent KeyWB1AAZ-
Mike, Antrim, NH, auto parts
truck driver-retired
Silent KeyWB1DVD-
Gil....Gilly..Gilmore.....easy
going, computer parts selling,
New England Ham..
Silent Key W1OKQ-
Jack....3936 Wheeling and
Dealing......keeping the boys on
there toes....
Silent KeyW1TCS-
Terry....75 meter
regular, wealth of electronic
knowledge...
Silent Key
WIPNR-
Mack....DXCC Master, worked them
all!.. 3864 regular for many
years...
Silent Key
WILIM-
Hu....SK at 92... 3864
regular for many years...
Silent Key N1SIE-
Dave....Loves to fly
Silent Key:N1WBD-
Big Bob- Tallest ham, at 6'10",
of the 3864 group
Silent Key:W1FSK-Steve....Navy
Pilot, HRO Salesman, has owned
every radio ever built!
Silent Key:W4NTI-Vietnam
Dan....far from easy going cw
and ssb op on 14275/313
Silent Key:K1FUB-Bill-
Loved ham radio....
tr>
14275/313
Silent Key:K1FUB-Bill-
Loved ham radio....
Earth
has many stories to tell, even in the dark of night.
Earth at Night, NASA’s new 200-page ebook, is now
available
